Refrigerating apparatus



Feb. 7, 1933. 1-..c. WHITEHEAD ET AL 1,896,385

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 11, 1929 INVENTORS BY ddrdZi/f. freekwa 20,

Patented Feb. 7, 1933 NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THOMAS C. WHITEHEAD AND HAROLD A. O'REENWALD, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, AS-

SIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND MIESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO KELVINATOR CORPORATION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Applicationfiled November '11, 1929. Serial No. 406,412. I

This invention relates generally to refrigerating apparatus and ca inets therefor.

Heretofore refrigerating apparatus units such as the compressor, motor and condenser have been mounted upon the top of refrigerator Cabinets and have been connected by suitable conduits to the cooling units within the cabinets. However, it has been difficult,- due to the weight of the parts, and especially where the head room is small, to install such apparatus upon or remove the same from the cabinets, therefore:

One of the essential objects of the present invention is to provide an assembly in which the compressor, condenser, motor and expansion valve are mounted within but may as a unit be removed from the cabinet without disturbing the cooling unit in the food compartment of the cabinet.

Another object is to provide an assembly in which the expansion valve and refrigerant conduit constituting the effective low side of tlile apparatus are insulated from the atmosere.

Another object. is to provide an assembly in which a chamber is provided in the cabinet for receiving the expansion valve and the couplings for the separate refrigerant conduit sections and is insulated from both the food and machine compartments of the cabinet.

Another object is to provide an assembly in which the chamber just referred to may open outwardly through the front wall of t e cabinet and be normally closed by the machine compartment door, or may be an insulated chamber within the machine compartment and be normally closed by a door or cover.

Another object is to provide an assembly in which the base of the chamber aforesaid is provided with an outwardly opening slot or slots that receive and permit ready removal of the refri erant conduits.

Another object is to provide an assembly in which the machine compartment door or other door or cover normally closes the slots and retains the conduits therein.

, Another object is to provide an assembly in which a porcelain lining for the food compartment constitutesa top wall or cover for the chamber aforesaid; j

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features'of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts that will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a cabinet embodying my invention; J Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the cabinet and showing the refrigerating apparatus embodying my invention applied thereto;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken at right angles to that shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4.: is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view through the base of the depressed portion of the partition;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4; but showing a slightly modified construction in which the tubing is received in a single openin in the'free edge of the base.

eferring now to the drawing, 1 is a refrigerator cabinet having top, side, front and rear walls, 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively contaming insulating material 6, such as cork, and provided intermediate the top andbottom thereof with a transversely extending partition 7 that also contains insulating material, such as cork, and divides the cabinet vertically into two chambers or compartments A and B respectively. As shown, both compartments A and B open outwardly through the front wall 4; of the cabinet and are provided with suitable doors 8 and 9 respectively. Preferably A constitutes the machine compartment and contains the compressor 10, motor 11 and condenser 12 of a suitable refrigerating apparatus, while B constitutes the food compartment and contains the cooling unit- 13 of the apparatus. 14 and 15 respectively are refrigerant conduits leading from the condenser 12 to the cooling unit 13 and from the latter to the compressor 10.

In the present instance. the partition 7 -is provided adjacent one side wall 3 with a depending box-like portion or chamber 16 chamber 16 with couplings 22 and 23 respectively; and an ex ansion valve 24 is located within the cham er 16 and is connected to the conduit section 21. As shown,-the conduit sections 19 and 20 are embedded in the cork insulating material 6 in the side and top walls 3 and 2 of the cabinet and extend into the chamber 16 at a point just below the lining 17, while the conduit sections 18 and 21 are received in laterally spaced outwardly opening vertical slots 25 and 26 in the front edge of the chamber base 27 and may be readily removed therefrom when the couplings 22 and 23 are apart to permit the compressor 10, expansion valve 24', condenser 12 and motor 11 to be removedas, a unit from the cabinet. Normally the slots 25 and 26 are closed and the conduit sections 18 and 21 are retained therein by the door 9.

In use the conduit 21 and expansion valve 24 constituting the low side of the apparatus is insulated from the atmosphere, hence the efiiciency of the apparatus as a cooling means is materially increased. All conduits are concealed and the cooling unit 13 alone is in the food compartment B, hence the construction is extremely neat and sanitary. The food compartment B and chamber 16 are independently accessible and the couplings 22 and 23 in the chamber 16 may be easily and quickly manipulated to permit the working parts of the apparatus in the chamber A to be bodily removed therefrom for any reason, such as for repairs, adjustments or replacements, without disturbing the cooling unit 13 or conduit sections 19 and 20. Preferably the couplings 22 and 23 correspond to those set forth in the ending application of Harold A. Greenwald: filed April 15, 1,929, bearing Serial Number 355,404, however any suitable couplings capable of retaining the refrigerant 1n the respective conduit sections when uncoupled will suflice.

While it is believed that from the foregoing description the nature and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent, we desire to have it understoodthat we do not limit ourselves to what is herein shown and described and that ,such changes may be re-,

Sorted to when desired as fall within the scope of what is claimed.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. A refrigerator cabinet having a food compartment provided with a lining and provided beneat said compartment with a chamber for the compressor, condenser and motor of a refrigerating apparatus, the ceiling of the chamber containing insulating material and having a substantially channelshaped portion oflset downwardly from and forming with the lining at the bottom of the compartment an outwardly opening insulated chamber for the reception of an expansion valve, the base of said channel being provided at its outer free edge with an outwardly opening slot for the reception of refrigerant tublng.

2. A refrigerator cabinet having a. food compartment provided with a lining and provided beneath said compartment with a chamber for the compressor, condenser and motor of a refrigerating apparatus, the ceiling of the-com artment having a substantially channel-s aped portion offset downwardly from and forming with the lining at the bottom of the compartment an outwardly opening chamber for the reception of an expansion valve of a refrigerating apparatus, the base of the channel being provided at its outer free edge with an outwardly open: ing slot for the reception of refrigerant tubing whereby said tubing, the expansion valve in said channel portion and the refrigerating apparatus in the first mentioned chamber may be removed as a unit, and a common closure for the first and second mentioned chambers aforesaid spanning the slot and holding the tubing therewithm.

3. A refrigerator cabinet having upper and lower compartments separated by a substantially horizontal partition containing insulating material, said partition forming the ceiling of the lower compartment and havin a substantially channel-shaped portion oflset downwardl and extending forwardly, and a lining for t e upper compartment having an imperforate portion constitutin the bottom of the upper compartment and orming with the channel-shaped portion a forwardly opening chamber for the reception of an expansion valve.

4. In combination, a refrigerator cabinet having a wall and three chambers opening 3 through said wall, and refrigerating apparatus havin portions within each of said chambers, t e portions of said apparatus within the lowermost and intermediate chambers being movable as a unit and including means in said intermediate chamber whereby the portions within the lowermost andintermediate chambers may be uncoupled from the portion within the uppermost chamber without disturbin the latter.

5.- In' comb nation, a refrigerator cabinet having a front wall and provided in rear of said wall with three chambers arranged one above the other, the front wall being provided with two vertically spaced openings, two of said chambers being 1n rear of and opening forwardly through the lowermost o ening, the third chamber being in rear of and opening through the uppermost opening, and refrigerating apparatus having portions with?- 1 in each of said chambers, the portion within the intermediate chamber including an expansion valve, the portions of said apparatus within the lowermost and intermediate chambers being removable as a unit through the lowermost opening in said front wall and including means in said intermediate chamber whereby the portions within said intermediate and lowermost chambers ma be uncoupled and separated from theportion within the uppermost chamber without disturbing the latter.

6. In combination, a refrigerator cabinet having a front wall and provided in rear of said wall with three chambers arranged one above the other, the front wall being provided with two openings, two of said chambers being in rear of and opening through one of said openings, the third chamber being in rear of and opening through the second opening, the intermediate chamber being separated from the uppermost and lowermost chambers and having walls containing insulating material, and refrigerating apparatus having portions within each of said cha-mbers and portions in said insulating material, the portions of said apparatus within the lowermost and intermediate chambers being removable as a unit through the first mentioned opening aforesaid and including means in said intermediate chamber whereby the portions of said apparatus in said intermediate and lowermost chambers may be uncoupled and separated from the portion in said insulating material without disturbing the portion in the uppermost chamber.

7. In combination, a refrigerator cabinet having three chambers, a refrigerant evaporating element in one of said chambers, a refrigerant condensing element in a second chamber, refrigerant conduits interconnectin said elements and extending through the third chamber, and coupling means for said means and one of said elements being readily removable as a unit through said opening. t In testimony whereof we afiix our signa- III'BS.

' THOMAS G. WHITEHEAD. HAROLD A. GREENWALD.

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5 conduits in said third chamber and accessible through an opening in a wall of said cabinet to disconnect said elements, said coupling means, said condensing element and the portions of said conduits leading to said con- (lensing element being readily removable as a unit through said opening.

8. In combination, a refrigerator cabinet having a chamber, the walls of which are formed by a lining member and a chamber located outside of said lining member, a refrigerant evaporator located within said lining member, a refrigerant condensing ele ment located outside of said chambers, refrigerant conduits interconnectingsaid elements and extending through said chamber located outside of said lining members, and coupling means for said conduits in said latter chamber and accessible through an opening in a wall of said cabinet to disconnect said elements from one another, said coupling 

